Shaun saw the digital design writing on the wall when he wrote his Graphic Design Diploma thesis “Computers and Design” in 1983, so in 1991 he leapt at the chance of learning to use a friend’s PowerMac and was thrilled to become the proud owner of his first Mac in 1995. The only career advice his visualising tutor, Ray Downham, ever gave was prescient “the key asset of your design career is going to be adaptability”. A decade later to continue developing his career Shaun needed to educate himself in Adobe Creative Suite, digital pre-press, colour management and typography. Designing good art in-house and freelance work developed his digital design disciplines and skills.
Surface Active ‘Kiwi Space Shuttle’ T-shirt, mixed media, digital illustration.
He had learned how it was, then had to leave it behind. Can’t get to the moon and back on a horse.
MyoPace EMG Equipment for Physiotherapy carton.
In 1998 he became a shareholder and in-house designer for the Christchurch dotcom Digital Proofing and colour management hub startup company, which he named, AbsoluteProof, a part-time role he worked in until 2009. This led him to freelance for several Christchurch technology startups involved in the local small business “incubator programme” also known as the technology barbecue, creating logos, advertising, capabilities brochures, websites and packaging.
Due to the macro-economic forces of globalisation on the local clothing manufacturing industry over previous decades by 2002 Shaun & Chrissie needed to wind up Surface Active. So Shaun took up a position as Creative Director/Mac production artist at a start-up Christchurch Brand Management studio. Then, having helped grow Tattoo from a 2 to a 6 person studio, at the end of 2004 he took up a position as inhouse designer for the Trans-Tasman Private Aviation and Affluent Travel firm Pionair. He enjoyed working inhouse for a diversified growing company tremendously. His role included digital photography. This demand for pro photos reignited Shaun’s enthusiasm and his adept photography has become one of the services that contributes most to the distinction of MagentaDot Brands’ work today.
Composite air-to-air image of Pionair Australia’s Convair VH-PDV sporting the new fluid livery.
It was a bad day for Pionair in October 2008 when their Private Air Charter operations in Australia was hit hard by the Global Financial Collapse. All their contracts with the mining industry were scrapped in one fell swoop and Pionair New Zealand suffered a similar catastrophe with their in-bound travel wholesale and private aviation businesses. The buoyant, go ahead firm that he had joined five years before was wound up less than 12 months later as a consequence. Out of that crisis, and with the support of Pionair and a set of loyal clients, sprang the idea for establishing MagentaDot Brands which he has been developing since May 2009.
Shaun never brags but he has won a few awards and competitions over the years, including a bronze Axis award for typography and a brace of coveted Pride in Print Golds for design, print finishing and print production.
His career is a creative and skill driven journey sparked by human curiosity, continuous development and adaptation. Design is a classic discipline of endless potential, the air in the studio is thick with ideas, where he shows more and talks less.
—Shaun Waugh
advertising, identity, corporate communications, illustration, packaging, photography, websites.
Phone: +64 21 067 6176 email: shaun@magentadotbrands.com
MagentaDot Brands 